New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-01
THOUSANDS LED CAPTIVE.
BUSINESS AND PLEASURE LAID ASIDE.

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INCREASING INTEREST IN THE GREAT NATIONAL
GAME--THE BASEBALL SEASON FAIRLY OPEN.
All of the score baseball associations have
at last started upon the long COR the pennants Of
their respective organizations. The Southern League
clubs we're the first get in line and the contests
closely watched In the district below tue Dixie line.
The American Association was the first OF the North
organizations to start and the for the cham
pionship is we'll under way 1t Is yet too early
TO attempt probable winner out of the eight
clubs In the games tar played, however, the st.
LOUIS, Brooklyn and Cincinnati clubs have done the
best work. and If the final struggle is between these
three mines there will not be much surprise felt.
The st. Louis nine started poorly, but has steadily
improved snce ana the followers of the game In this
city and its vicinity to think the real will
be between these three clubs. The Brooklyn Club is
playing in fine form and is setting the pace for the
other mines. The Baltimore Club is considered an
uncertain quality and is thought by many to be the
final winner. The Maryanders will have to play In
much better form than they have done Of late to get
the goal.
The Metropolitan Club has done poorly; In fact the
nine is doing even poorer work than 1t did last year.
l-fortune to follow the Indians wherever they
CO. After a disastrous two weeks play in which they
did not succeed in winning single game, calamity
betel the club at Baltimore Wednesday, when the
captain and the best player in the nne Dave Orr,
was seriously injured Orr ie the life and strength OF
the nne and as the accident will lay him up for
era weeks and possibly for all this season the club
will suffer. Sadie" Houck who has just been signed
by the cup to take Esterbrooks place at short stop,
may add some strength to the club but very little.
Houck generally wears a peculiar second half hose
over the regular baseball stockings and the white tops
pYOtrude above the shoes Just enough to make 1t ap
pear that he cuffs on his ankles. He is good
natured and hard worker and 1t is barely possible
that he may intuse little lite INTO the sow-moving
Nets.
The opening of the League season at the Polo
Grounds Thursday was an suspicious occasion IN
spite OF the dsagreeable weather. With fine day
between $4,000 and 10000 people would undoubt-
eddy have been present. but the frequent showers and
generally dIsagIeeable temperature kept the number
OF on-lookers below 5000. When the uncertainty as
crowd remarkable and again illustrates the grow
ing popularity OF baseball The season at Washing
ton and Pittsburg owng to the weather was not
formally opened until Friday
The outcome OF the first game at Indianapolis
welcome surprise to everybody. The Detroit Club
was considered an easy winner, but the Wolverines
the last inning after an unusually hard tight With
any OF her other pitchers than Lady Baldwin the
Detroit nine would probably have been beaten. The
Hooser League lady may yet surprise many OF the
enthusiasts ana may refuse 10 fight tor last place
with the Washington Club, the critics have gen.
orally said it would do The indianapolis nine is made
uD OF all the better players OF the old ST. Louis and
Kansas City clubs and by the combination OF baseball
talent the city ought TO have pretty strong club
Most of the players were Dissatisfied with their ioca
ton last year and consequently did not play well
they will this year everything is made agreeable for
them by the Hoosiers.
The opening game between the New York and Phil
adelphia clubs showed that these two old rivals are
about as evenly matched In former years. The
local players only after hard fight. II Is true
that the local club did not have its strongest nine in
the field but this can Just as truthfuly be said OF the
Philadelphia nine. The New-York Club missed the
services of Gore and was Handicapped by Dorgan's
lameness. The local club, however, had what will
prove its strongest battery 10 keefe add WEIGH The
Philadelphia nine missed Bastan at second base and
Mulvcy at third, and although the outhelders An
l.o.y nj infie
i INJURIES of Of Basfian and Malycy The Quaker City
men may secure an honorable position In the cham
pionshp race, but they do not look like pennant WIN
mere They WILL however, be the thorn in the side OF
some OF the other clubs they to the New-York
Club two years ago. The Philadelphia Club is we'll
supplied with pitchers, Ferguson, Daily aud Casey
will all do good work, but those who have watched
Ferguson closely this season say he will not be as
effective q pitcher he wac last year. Ferguson Is
the mairstay pitcher OF the Quaker City Club, and II
the new rules handicap his effectiveness, as many
people think they will the clubs chances tor psnnan'
honors are poor Indeed
The four clubs forming the Intercollegiate Associa-
ton were about the last to start out TOR pennant
honors not opening their season until ayesterday.
and Yale and Princeton at Princeton The race tor
the pennant promises TO be the most interesting one
is the history of college baseball Each OF the four
colleges has put remarkably strong nine IN the neld
aud TO casual the clubs appear to be about
as evenly matched four college mines could be- The
OF the games are reasonably cure OF being close
the strongest battery in Stagg and Dunn but Colum
bia College appears to have the strongest general
nine. The Columbia students say they tear the
Princeton nine moro than they do either Yale or
Harvard. With the usual Yale spirit the New Haven
students fear nobody and after defeating the Boston
League Club the student. think they will have clear
sailing IN the intercollegiate pennant struggle The
Princet students confident they will win and
their Jersey friends are loyal to the core Har.
ward College has not had the benent OF professional
coaching practice but they may not feel the want
OF IT,